Overview of Allocation Types
In Rocketlane, allocations are used to manage commitments for placeholders or team members. There are two types of allocations available:
Hard Allocations: These represent confirmed commitments. Use hard allocations when a team member or resource has been fully committed to a project or task.
Soft Allocations: These are indicative of tentative or planning-stage commitments. Use soft allocations during the forecasting or resource planning phase, where commitments are not yet finalized. For example, these may be used for potential projects or preliminary resource planning.
Guidelines for Selecting Allocation Types
Choosing the correct allocation type is crucial for accurate planning and reporting:
Use hard allocations when you are sure that the resource or member will work on the project.
Use soft allocations when planning resources for potential or forecasted projects. This will allow for flexibility in resource adjustments as the planning evolves.
Behavior of Soft Allocations
Soft allocations are useful during the resource planning process. Here’s how they behave and what you can do with them:
Impact on Utilization Metrics: Soft allocations influence utilization metrics within Rocketlane, providing insights into potential resource usage without committing them as final.
Convertibility: Soft allocations can be easily converted into hard allocations once the commitment is confirmed. This ensures that your planning can adapt to changes without starting over.
Best Practices for Resource Allocation
Regularly review your soft allocations during the planning phase to ensure they align with project priorities.
Transition soft allocations to hard allocations promptly when commitments are finalized.
Utilize utilization metrics generated by soft allocations for effective resource forecasting and reporting.
By leveraging these allocation types appropriately, you can streamline project planning, resource management, and reporting within Rocketlane.